Placentia Bay Marine Biological and Water Sampling 2018-2022

From 2018 to 2022, Fisheries and Oceans Canada collected monthly and bi-weekly biological and physical data at up to 4 sites in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. The dataset includes measurements of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, pH, nutrients, and eDNA from phytoplankton, zooplankton, and water column sampling. Data were gathered using Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program and Cold Ocean Productivity Experiment protocols.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal trends in chlorophyll-a and nutrient concentrations to model spring phytoplankton blooms in Placentia Bay.
• Model relationships between physical parameters like temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen with biological data such as phytoplankton and zooplankton presence.
• Use eDNA samples from the 4 sampling sites for biodiversity assessments and species detection in the bay.
• Investigate water column structure by examining vertical profiles of conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) data collected via moored instruments and niskin samples.

Strengths

• Multi-year temporal coverage from 2018 to 2022, capturing seasonal and interannual variability.
• Integrated data collection combining biological (phytoplankton, zooplankton, eDNA), physical (temperature, salinity), and biogeochemical (nutrients, chlorophyll-a, POC/PON) parameters.
• Sampling designed at multiple temporal scales, including monthly at 4 sites and bi-weekly during spring, to capture broad and fine-scale trends.

Limitations

• Spatial coverage is limited to a maximum of 4 specific sampling sites within Placentia Bay, not the entire region.
• Sample sizes for specific parameters like eDNA or nutrients at various depths (5m, 10m, etc.) are not quantified in the description.
• Data availability and completeness for all parameters across all sampling events and sites are not specified.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Coastal Environmental Baseline Program.

Collection Method

Data collected using Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP) and Cold Ocean Productivity Experiment (COPE) protocols, including vertical net tows, niskin bottles, and moored CTDs.

Time Range

2018 to 2022.

Freshness

Data collection concluded in 2022; metadata was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.